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Lymphocyte subpopulations in healthy 1-3-day-old infants
M R O'Gorman1, D D Millard, J N Lowder
1Department of Pediatrics, Children's Memorial Hospital, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois 60614, USA. mogorman@nwu.edu
Insights
Newborns have distinct lymphocyte profiles compared to adults, with higher T cells and immature B cells. These findings establish crucial reference ranges for infant immune assessment.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Pediatrics
- Flow Cytometry
Background:
- Establishing reference ranges for lymphocyte subsets in newborns is critical for diagnosing immune system abnormalities.
- Previous studies have not comprehensively compared neonatal and adult lymphocyte profiles using standardized flow cytometry.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine reference ranges for major (B, T, NK) and minor lymphocyte subsets in 1-3-day-old infants.
- To compare these neonatal lymphocyte profiles with those of healthy adults.
Main Methods:
- Flow cytometry was used to analyze peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets.
- Forty-three healthy newborns (1-3 days old) and 38 healthy adults were included.
- Adult samples served as controls and for comparison.
Main Results:
- Newborns showed elevated proportions of total T cells and T helper cells, with decreased T suppressor/cytotoxic and NK cells compared to adults.
- Neonates had a higher proportion of immature B lymphocytes (CD10+CD19+, CD20+CD5+).
- Newborns exhibited lower proportions of activated T cells but higher proportions of CD8 cells expressing CD28 and CD38.
Conclusions:
- This study provides essential reference ranges for lymphocyte subsets in healthy newborns.
- The distinct neonatal immune profile highlights differences in immune cell populations at birth.
- These reference ranges are valuable for assessing immune abnormalities in very young infants.
Abstract:
The primary objective of this study was to establish reference ranges for the major (B, T, and natural killer; NK) and clinically relevant minor lymphocyte subsets in the peripheral blood of healthy 1-3-day-old infants and then to compare the results with those obtained in a group of healthy adults analyzed simultaneously. Forty-three infants aged 1-3 days and 38 healthy adults were recruited to the study to establish the median, 10th, and 90th percentiles of the proportions and absolute numbers of relevant lymphocyte subsets. The samples obtained from the healthy adults served as a flow cytometry process control in addition to providing a group comparator. The peripheral blood of the newborns (vs. adults) contained elevated proportions of total T cells (83% vs. 77%) and T helper cells (63% vs. 46%), with decreased proportions of T suppressor/cytotoxic cells (23% vs. 28%) and NK cells (4% vs. 10.5%). The newborns had a higher proportion (P < 0.0001) of immature B lymphocytes compared with those of adults (CD10+CD19+, 1.5% vs. 0% and CD20+CD5+, 13% vs. 6%), and the proportion of activated T cells was significantly lower (P < 0.0001; CD3+CD25+, 7.0% vs. 15%;CD3+HLA-DR+, 2.0% vs. 6% and CD8 and CD57, 0.0% vs. 8.0%). In contrast, the proportions of neonatal CD8 cells expressing CD28 (90.2% vs. 67.7%) and CD38 (96.6% vs. 70.9%) were significantly higher (P < 0.0001). The reference ranges for 1-3-day-old healthy newborns generated in this study provides a valuable tool for the assessment of immune abnormalities in very young infants.